Delhi continues to struggle with ‘very poor’ air quality, no improvement expected in next 3 days
The air quality index (AQI) on Tuesday was recorded at 331, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) on Monday morning, the AQI of the national capital was 318, which comes under the ‘very poor’ category.
While the air quality of Delhi deteriorated only slightly on Monday, authorities said that no improvement is predicted in the next three days. On Monday, the share of stubble burning in Delhi was 10 per cent, which is the lowest since November 4.
PM2.5 particles, known for causing lung damage, remained the dominant pollutant in several areas of Delhi. Today morning, the concentration of PM2.5 particles stood at 356 in Delhi University (North Campus) area, 319 in Pusa, 349 in Mathura Road, 319 in Lodhi Road, 338 in Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3), 319 in IIT Delhi, and 310 in Ayanagar, according to SAFAR.
Pollution in Delhi a ‘crisis situation’
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the National Task Force on air quality to call for a meeting and suggest measures to curb air pollution. The apex court also asked the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana to attend the meeting held by the Centre.
The apex court called the pollution issue a “crisis situation” and insisted that emergency steps must be taken to curb the level of pollutants in Delhi. The SC also slammed the Delhi government over its approach towards the pollution crisis.
During the hearing, the Delhi government told the SC that it is ready to take steps like complete lockdown to control the local emissions. The SC also directed the Centre and States of Delhi-NCR regions to impose work from home for their employees.
